Report: Lady Gaga ends deal with Target

MINNEAPOLIS — Pop singer Lady Gaga has dissolved her partnership with mass merchandiser Target, according to published reports.

Last month, Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, teamed up with Target to promote her latest album, “Born This Way,” selling an exclusive special edition of it through the retailer.

But The Advocate, a national gay and lesbian magazine, reported Wednesday that the singer was dissatisfied with past donations the retailer had made to MN Forward, an organization that supported Republican Tom Emmer’s gubernatorial campaign in Minnesota last year. A source told the magazine that the singer and retailer “didn’t see eye-to-eye on Target’s policy of political donations and how they affect the LGBT community.”

Emmer had run on a platform opposing same-sex marriage and had close ties to the Christian ministry You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International and its founder, Bradlee Dean, who advocated the death penalty for gay people during a radio appearance. Emmer later distanced himself from Dean’s comments.

The donations had attracted the ire of the gay community, and Target, which has a long history of supporting gay and lesbian organizations and events, sought to make amends by revising its policy on political donations, including the creation of an executive committee to manage them.

“We were very surprised and disappointed by the statements made by Lady Gaga’s organization related to her partnership with Target,” a statement released by the retailer to Drug Store News read. “Target remains committed to the LGBT community as demonstrated by our contributions to various LGBT organizations, our recently established policy committee to review our political giving and our respectful, inclusive workplace environment.”

At the time the partnership was announced, Lady Gaga told Billboard magazine that the relationship was contingent upon Target affiliating itself with gay and lesbian charity organizations and reforming its political donation policy.